Baltimore awaits Bangaliana
A little away from the historic Fort McHenry National Monument – the birthplace of the US National Anthem, the nautical winds of Atlantic Ocean will carry soul-stirring tunes of Rabindra Sangeet, the twang of an Ektara blending with the Thumri of Shubha Mudgal, and the curried aroma of crab cake sinfully uniting with that of rui machher kalia. Over the last 39 years, these three days every summer are ethnically, musically and soulfully Bangali in a particular part of America. This year it is Baltimore, the historic seaport destination of Maryland, just one and a half hours drive from Washington DC. The much awaited 39th North American Bengali Conference organised by Sanskriti of Washington D.C. and co-sponsored by Prantikof Baltimore and Northern Virginia Bengali Association of Virginia will be held from July 5 - 7 at the Baltimore Convention Center.
The theme of NABC 2019 'Bhubano Jora Ashonokhani'.Banga Sammelan is not just a celebration of Bangaliana, but it serves countless slices of Bengal on the global platter, grandly celebrating Bengali culture, life and tradition in a setting where East meets West. It is a platform that brings together, hundreds of NRIs who eagerly hold onto their roots despite residing thousands of miles away from their ancestral homes.
The captivating business forums will have eminent entrepreneurs discuss about entrepreneurship in The Brick and Mortar Economy and enchanting literary seminars keeping the audience hooked. The North American Bengali Conference 2019 has an enticing schedule of events lined up – from the mesmerising performances of Deb Shankar Halder and Laisa Ahmed Lisa, to the ecstatic rhythm jam by tabla maestro Tanmoy Bose, to the charismatic grand musical night by Shankar Mahadevan. The NABC 2019 Film Festival will recognise excellence in celluloid achievements in the Bengali film industry, followed by screening of popular Bengali feature films and documentaries.
This is for the first time Aajkaal and NABC will confer Lifetime Achievement Award, and the worthy recipient of Aajkaal NABC Jibonkriti Samman 2019 is Padmabhushan Swadesh Chatterjee, Indian-American community leader and activist dedicated to fostering a better relationship among American and Indian people, politicians and businesses. Besides this honour, one of the most talked about events – Aajkaal NABC Utkarsha Samman 2019 will recognise five outstanding Indians for excellence on this global platform.
The clouds above the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House has already begun smelling sweet. It is that time of the year when walnut baklava blends flawlessly with rosogollar payesh, and myriad hues of dhakai jamdani sarees overpower the colours of the Baltimore Inner Harbor.
The Bay of Bengal will never meet the Atlantic Ocean, but Bangaliana has been weaving an unbreakable bridge between the two for nearly four decades now.
